Thanksgiving

It's funny the things that put me in the mood to celebrate a holiday.  This year it was the cranberry relish.  Relish?  Yes,it's cranberries, apples, celery, jello, all pureed into a beautiful concoction.   Honestly, it wasn't my favorite when we celebrated at home but now it's the thing that reminds me most of dinners at Grandma Lois'.  When I whipped it up last Wednesday, I finally got into the spirit of Thanksgiving.

After a trip to Genghis Grill with the Blake's (man that restaurant is good), I spent Wednesday night baking pies.  Do you really need 5 pies at a party?  Probably no, but that's the traditional way to do Thanksgiving.  Every Wednesday night before Thanksgiving, for as long as I can remember, we'd bake pies (I mean like 15) in my mom's kitchen.  It's the thing that puts me back home in my mom's kitchen, even when we're so far away.

 

We fried our first turkey.  And by we, I mean Heber.

Clark (smoked) and Heber (fried) with their turkeys.

Once again, did we need two turkeys?  No, not really.  But it was special and different and that is what holidays are for.   That and it gave the guys a chance to deep fry something.  You know that's a bonding experience. 

 

We ate lots of good food at the cousins (I die just thinking about smoked turkey and raspberry yams) and had a wonderful time together.  

This Thanksgiving, there was so much to be thankful for...Leo, Heber, Heb's job, my job (being a mom), good friends.  I can recognize this good time because there have been times where it's not been so good.  Even then though, there are things to be thankful for.  All the experiences have brought me to where I am now.

With all of this Thanksgivinging (that's a word right?  I'd say it is), I thought about all of the Thanksgivings before.  You know how nostalgic I get around holidays.  Well, this week, my grandparent's home was cleaned out and rented to a new family.  With Grandpa Dave moving to an assisted living center almost a year ago, his home has been vacant.  It's crazy to think that this is the first year that part of Christmas won't take place there.  All those memories of visiting that home.  I don't like that Leo will never go inside that home and see my grandparents there.  I don't like how things always have to change but I know it's inevitable. It's these holidays that make me think back on good memories and to appreciate the childhood I had. 

So that was quite the meandering post.  What makes you think of thanksgiving?